Pinelands Loop Trail

Everglades National Park

The .4 miles Pinelands Trail showcases one of the park?s most diverse and resilient habitats. Once extending up the Atlantic coast of Florida, the Slash Pine forests of the Everglades now represent virtually all that is left of this habitat. As the Miami area became more populated, heavy logging due to demand for the durable and hard pine wood devastated these once-thriving forests. Today, the 20,000 acres of Everglades pineland forest is now the most endangered pine community in North America.

Tall Slash Pines once covered the entire Atlantic coast of Florida. Now, the Everglades hosts the last 20,000 acres of pinelands in what is now the most endangered pine community in America

The pinelands are home to fire-resistant underplants, such as the Saw Palmetto (seen here). The Saw Palmetto wraps its buds in protective tissue which can regenerate after a wildfire

In addition to being located within a saw grass prairie, this pineland habitat brushes up against the dense jungle tangle of a hardwood hammock ecosystem

Solution holes, like the one seen here, are formed by acids released during plant decay. The acids slowly dissolve the underground limestone to form holes in the forest floor. These solution holes fill with fresh water to provide an oasis for animals during the dry season

The pinelands ecosystem are home to the park's largest and rarest mammals including the Florida Panther and Black Bear